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Motorcyclist and his lawyers win his case after he suffers massive injuries resulting from a crash with a backhoe

Accident Type: 
Motorcycle Accident
Incident Date: 
Thursday, August 30, 2001
Result Date: 
Monday, October 16, 2006
  Perry Wise, A 48-year-old hospital laboratory technician, was driving his BMW motorcycle east on State Route 6 just east of Menlo, Washington when he stoped a backhoe travelling on shoulder of his lane ahead of him. As Wise attempted to pass the backhoe, its driver, Ron Epperson, suddenly drove into his lane. Wise hit his brakes and laid his motorcycle down on the highway and subsequently slammed into the back of the backhoe.  As a result of the accident Wise suffered extensive injuries. He sustained multiple face fractures and injuries requiring reconstructive surgery. He suffered fractured ribs and a catastrophic chest injury. His hips were fractured, and he sustained a laceration of his liver. Wise underwent many surgeries and emergencye procedures. He has permanent loss of sensation in areas of his face, and has a permanent hip disfunction that affects his mobility. He spent 31 days total in the hospital. Wise sued Epperson and his employer, Pilchuck Contractors for negligent operation of the vehicle resulting in the crash and his injuries.  The defense attorneys argued that Wise was inattentive and that his poor motorcycle riding skills resulted in the accident. They brought an accident reconstruction expert who testified that Wise did not pay attention to the backhoe and that he should have avoided collision by simply steering around the backhhoe instead of laying down the motorcycle. They also brought a psychiatrist who argued that Wise's untreated Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) contributed to his inattentiveness. Ultimately, Wise and his attorneys won his case, awarding him $722,794.

Motorcyclist's lawyers win his case against a negligent driver of a church van after he sustains injuries in an accident in Los Angeles County, California

Accident Type: 
Motorcycle Accident
Incident Date: 
Sunday, November 1, 1998
Result Date: 
Thursday, March 1, 2001
Monetary Result: 
$818,147
  Mr. Quezada was riding his motorcycle in November of 1998 when he collided with a van operated by Mr. Paiva and owned by Angelica Lutheran Church making a U-turn. Mr. Quezada suffered a hemopneumothorax (air and blood in the chest cavity), nine fractured ribs, a restrictive lung disease, and road rash to his right hand as a result of the accident.  Quezada decided to sue Paiva and the church that owned the van for vehicle negligence. He and his lawyers argued that Paiva made an illegal U-turn and was inattentive to oncoming traffic.  Paiva and the church denied liability and argued that Quezada was negligent for operating his motorcycle at a high speed. The jury ruled in favor of Quezada, awarding him $818,147, including $25,000 for loss of services claimed by his spouse. He was found to be 50% at fault for the accident, however, and the amount was reduced accordingly.

Seattle motorcyclist's lawyers win his case against a pickup driver who pulled into an intersection in his path, winning $726,000

Accident Type: 
Motorcycle Accident
Incident Date: 
Thursday, July 19, 1990
Result Date: 
Thursday, February 13, 1992
Monetary Result: 
$726,000
  On July 19, 1990, Rudy Cantu, a 24-year-old auto-body painter, was driving on South Cloverdale Street in Seattle, Washington on his motorcycle. As he was crossing 5th Avenue South a pickup truck, driven by Ronald Dick, drove into the path of Cantu from 5th Avenue, then stopped in front of him, resulting in Cantu slamming into Dick's truck. Cantu sustained serious injuries in the accident. He sustained serious fractures on both arms, sustained lacerations and wounds to his abdomen, resulting in damage to his liver and spleen.  Cantu decided to sue Dick for the cost of his medical expenses that resulted from the accident. He argued that when Dick was negligent because he drove into the intersection without seeing the motorcyle. Furthermore, when he stopped his truck in Cantu's path, he further contributed to the accident. Dick argued that he stopped the truck in order to give Cantu a chance to move around the vehicle and avoid the accident, and therefore Cantu was negligent by not taking evasive action. In the end, the jury sided with Cantu, awarding him $726,000. He was considered to be 7.5% negligent in the incident, so his overall award was reduced to $672,000.

Seattle motorcyclist's lawyers win their case against a truck driver who pulled out in front of him at an intersection, resulting in a crash that caused him serious injuries

Accident Type: 
Motorcycle Accident
Incident Date: 
Sunday, July 1, 1990
Result Date: 
Saturday, February 1, 1992
Monetary Result: 
$726,000
  Mr. Cantu was riding his motorcycle in July of 1990 in Seattle, Washington when he struck a truck, operated by Mr. Dick, broadsiding the vehicle. Cantu suffered serious injuries in the accident, including a fracture of the right radius, a fracture to the left arm, a concussion, lacerations to his chest and stomach, and bruises to his spleen and liver. Mr. Cantu decided to sue Mr. Dick for personal injury. He and his lawyers argued that Mr. Dick negligently pulled out in front of him at an intersection. In the end, the jury sided with Mr. Cantu, awarding him $726,000. He was found 7.5% negligent, however, and this total amount was reduced.

Los Angeles jury awards motorcyclist after he suffers injuries in an accident with a dump truck

Accident Type: 
Motorcycle Accident
Incident Date: 
Tuesday, May 1, 1990
Result Date: 
Monday, May 18, 1992
Monetary Result: 
$658,784
  Hugh Juarez, a 30-year-old machine operator was riding his motorcycle in the right lane in Los Angeles, California in May, 1990 when he was struck by a dump truck making a right turn from the left lane next to Juarez. He sustained injuries in the accident, including a fractured tibia, fibula, and a spinal injury. At the time, Inocencio Heredia, the dump truck driver, was on the job for Jimmy King Trucking, a contractor at a nearby construction site. Juarez decided to hire an attorney and sue the dump truck driver and his employer. After the accident, however, Heredia disappeared. Jimmy King Trucking therefore represented the sole defendant at the stand during the trial. They alleged that Heredia was not on the job at the time, and that he was buying auto parts for his personal vehicle. In the end, the jury sided with Juarez and his lawyers, awarding him $658,784.17.

Phoenix motorcyclist and his lawyers win his case against a driver who pulled out in front of him, resulting in an accident where he suffered serious injuries

Accident Type: 
Motorcycle Accident
Incident Date: 
Monday, January 1, 1990
Result Date: 
Saturday, May 1, 1993
Monetary Result: 
$500,000

 

Mr. Davis, a 31-year-old respitory therapist, was riding his motorcycle in Phoenix, Arizona when a vehicle, driven by Mr. Ballecer, drove into his lane, resulting in an accident. Davis stated that he thought that the vehicle was parking on the side of the road when Ballecer suddenly turned left into his lane of traffic, resulting in the accident. Davis suffered severe injuries in the crash, including a closed head injuring resulting in a seizure disorder, a jaw fracture, a fractured orbital bone around the right eye, and a torn pectoral muscle.

Mr. Davis decided to sue Mr. Ballecer for personal injury due to his negligent driving. Mr. Ballecer denied his responsibility, claiming that Davis made an unsafe lane change and failed to make evasive maneuvers to avoid crashing into his vehicle.

Ultimately the jury sided with Mr. Davis. He was found to be 48% negligent, however. His total award was $500,000, which was composed of $48,000 for past medcal expenses, $43,000 for future medical expenses, $49,000 for past lost wages, and $450,000 for future lost wages.

Woman's lawyers win her case after being injured in an accident with two drunk drivers while riding on a motorcycle

Accident Type: 
Motorcycle Accident
Incident Date: 
Saturday, July 10, 1982
Result Date: 
Wednesday, June 1, 1983
Monetary Result: 
$558,352
On July 10, 1982, at 11: 20 p.m.Sharon Crigger, a 36-year-old federal crop insurance adjuster with the Department of Agriculture, was riding as a passenger on the back of Kermit Johansson's motorcycle at Fruit and Ashlan Avenue. Ms. Crigger and Mr. Johansson were driving west on Ashlan when Patrick McHatton was traveling in a southbound direction on Fruit Avenue. The two vehicles collided with each other at the intersection controlled by light signals. Both drivers argued that they had the green light. Ms. Crigger was severely injured. She sustained several pelvic fractures, requiring 50 units of blood. She also suffered nerve injuries to her right leg and right arm, including her right shoulder, leaving her with residual dysfunction of the deltoid and triceps muscles of the right arm, which restricts her from strenuous activity, and in her work. She was in intensive care for nine days, and in the hospital for two months. She subsequently sued both Mr. Johansson and Mr. McHatton for their individual roles in causing the accident. Crigger had been dating Johansson for about a year prior to the accident, and they had been on a river rafting outing early that day. All the people involved consumed alcoholic beverages that day, although no blood alcohol content was taken from Ms. Crigger, who could not remember the incident due to her injuries. Mr. McHatton was arrested for felony drunk driving. McHatton argued that he had consumed four or five beers during the hour prior to the accident, and that he was on his way home. He was intending to continue driving south on Fruit avenue at the intersection, and had the green light. Physical factors of the accident indicated that his account was inconsistent, however. It appeared that he was making a left hand turn, and, further, was traveling at 15 to 20 m.p.h. at the time of the accident. Mr. McHatton admitted he was partially at fault, but argued that Mr. Johansson was also negligent, and that Ms. Crigger was comparatively negligent for getting onto the motorcycle with an impaired driver. Defendant Johansson claimed that he was traveling at 35 m.p.h., and that he had the green light. He further argued that he had no notice of the other motor vehicle until he was some twenty feet from the intersection, which time he caught a glimpse of the other vehicle, and at that point he attempted to take evasive action and brake, but was unable to apply his brake prior to impacting the motor vehicle. Defendant Johannson denied any liability. Both the plaintiff and the defendant brought expert witnesses to the stand. An accident reconstructionist testified on behalf of Ms. Crigger, testifying that even if both of the vehicles had the green light, that Mr. Johannson could have taken evasive action, and should have been able to reduce the speed of his motorcycle from 35 m.p.h. to 22 m.p.h., based on normal reaction time, had he not been drunk. Mr. Blair stated that this reduction of speed would reduce the velocity of impact by 60%. Another expert witness testified that Mr. McHatton had a blood alcohol content of .015, and that level his perceptual abilities were impaired. The defendant's expert witness testified that in his opinion the accident was unavoidable, as there were obstructions at the intersection that kept both drivers from seeing each other. Ultimately, Ms. Crigger and her lawyers won the case for her, awarding her $558,352.32. It was found that Mr. McHatton was primarily at fault, although Mr. Johansson contributed to the accident.